Brady Hoke's recruiting on par with previous national champions

Michigan coach Brady Hoke has attracted back-to-back classes that rank among the top seven in the country, according to Rivals. That's an elite club -- and one that has produced several national champions.Mark Bugnaski | Kalamazoo Gazette

ANN ARBOR -- The past seven national champions all have something in common: Each featured at least two recruiting classes in the previous four years that ranked among the top seven nationally, according to Rivals.

And Michigan appears to be on the verge of joining that club.

The Wolverines' 2012 class finished seventh nationally, according to Rivals, and the 2013 class is ranked sixth heading into Wednesday's signing day.

Of course, that doesn't guarantee Michigan will win a title. Thirteen programs have accomplished the feat in that time, but only four took home a crystal ball.

But as the recruiting rankings have sharpened over the past few years, they've become accurate barometers for which teams join that discussion.

And Michigan appears to be right there heading into the next few years.

"They’re going to be able to compete for national championships, with classes like this," said Tom Luginbill, ESPN's national director of recruiting. "But it's not just about great players.

"Not only do you have to have a great player, you have to have the right player, and what is the right player? You have to have the right mentality – a guy who buys in. And that’s where Michigan and this staff has spent an awful lot of time, and I think you’re going to start to see that coming into play now as they shift away from the Denard Robinson era."

Michigan's 27-man class is paced by No. 1 taillback Derrick Green, as well as four-star quarterback Shane Morris, both of whom fit the pro-style offense toward which the Wolverines are transitioning.

They also have six offensive linemen who each earned four stars from at least one of the major services. That is the strength of this class, and one that could be a key at the national level.

"I think they've done enough to join that upper tier of teams that can compete for national titles," Scout recruiting analyst Allen Trieu said. "I think they’ve also really focused on the offensive line, which is important when you’re going against some of those SEC schools that have four NFL Draft prospects across the defensive line. I think they’ve recruited good athletes, and the speed on defense is what really stands out.

"I think the pressure is on Michigan now to make good on it and compete for not just the Big Ten title, but the national title. You finish one, two or top five in recruitng two years in a row, that sets the bar pretty high. Not many teams have done that, and the ones that have done it have fared well.

"You have to think they are going to put the talent on the field to compete with the SEC schools for national titles."